Valve.



No. 693,321. PatentadfFb. ll, I902.

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VALVE.- (A licat on filed lfeb. 14, 1899,

awn/Tog Fran 071 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK GRAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

{ VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 693,321, dated,February 1 1, 1902.

Application filed February 14, 1899. Serial No. 705.504- (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK GRAY, a citizen Valve, of which the followingis a specification. 7 1

My invention relatesto certain improvements in that class of valveswhich are parv ticularly designed for use in connection with what aretermed dry-pipe automatic fireextinguishing systems. In thesefire-extinguishing systems conducting-pipes extend throughout a buildingto be protected, and at suitable intervals sprinkler heads are locatedin the pipes, which are fused and opened automatically in case ofemergency. In the wet-pipe system the water is maintained under pressurethroughout the pipes of the system and immediately passes out throughthe sprinkler-heads when they are fused. The dry-pipe system maintainsan air-pressure above the main valve, and said valve is exposed to theexcessive pressure of the water. In the main valve of the dry-pipesystem the air-pressure in the pipes of the-system beyond the said valveis less than the waterpressure on the other side, and the valve isusually held closed by providing a double valve-face of differentialareas, which hold the valve closed until the air-pressureis reduced. Themeans at present used, however, for holding the valve closed tend toenlarge the valve and obstruct the water-passage; Resort has been had tomany other devices for holding the valve closed against thewaterpressure and permitting it to open automatically upon the reductionof the'air-pressure caused by the operation of the sprinklerheads. I

The object of my invention in one particular is to provide a main valveto control the water-pressure in a dry-pipe system which shall becompact and small and of great strength and rigidity and which shallafford the least opportunity for corrosion and present the leastpossible obstruction to the passage of the water.

It is necessary to frequently test the main valve to determine whetherit is operative. In doing so the pressure of air is reduced in the pipesof the system, and when the valve opens the water enters into the pipesof the system, and it must be drained out before the valve can be reset.In cold weather and in unheated buildings the water so admitted inmaking such tests frequently freezes before it can be drained.

A further object of my invention is to pro- I Vide means for making sucha test without admitting the water into the dry pipes m Figure l is avertical section through my improved valve; Fig. "2 is a section on thelineaa of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a fragment of thehinged valve. Fig. 4 is a view of the exterior of the valve, showing thepipe connections.

The valve-casing is designated at A, and within it the various parts ofthe valves are disposed.

As this type of valve is particularly adapted for use in-conjunctionwith dry-pipe automatic fire-extinguishing systems, I shall describe itsoperation in such a system. v

The water-riser is designated at B, Within which is an ordinary cut-ofivalve B adapted for manual operation.

The automatic valve comprises in construction the hinged valveD, hingedat D and held on its seat in a manner to be described. 'Above thehinged: valve is a partition E within the casing, which provides a seatfor the valve E The automatic valve may be considered as a two-partvalve comprised of the hinged valve D, and the valve E and these valvesare connected together separably when closed by certain connectingmeans, which I shall now describe.

- A rod H depends from the upper valve E to a point midway between saidvalve and the hinged valve D. An elbow-lever J is interposed between thelower end of the valve-rod 5 casing and held in place by means of a pinK By this means the abutment may be adjusted in the necessary position.-The free end of the arm ]x) of the elbow-lever J is held between theabutment K and the ledge K, as shown in Fig. 1, with the upper end ofthe arm j of said lever engaged against the valverod H.

The armjof the elbow-lever is screw-threaded into the arm 7;, and inorder to adjust the valve D securely upon its seat on the side thereofengaged by the elbow-lever the arm j is manually rotated, and as itbears at one end upon the rod H and at the other is screwthreaded intothe arm 7.; the lever bears down upon the valve D. To adjust the otherside of the valve D securely upon its seat, I provide a pin L, whichengages the valve D at its upper end and is screw-threaded into thevalve-casing at its lower end.

The operation of this portion of my device is as follows: The hingedvalve D is locked and held in a closed position by means of theelbow-lever J, which is in turn held by the upper valve E Upon areduction of airpressure above the valve E the said valve opens and inits upward movement carries the rod H, releasing the elbow-lever J. Theexcess water-pressure below the valve D new attacks and raises it on thehinge D throwing the freed elbow-1ever to one side. The elbow-lever isheld from escape by means of a chain.

Above the main valve and in the dry-pipe riser M is located a cut-offvalve N, and below this valve and above the main valve is a testdrain-cock or release M".

In order to eifect a test of the main valve to determine whether it isoperative, it is simply necessary to first close the cut-off valve N andthen open the release-cock M and withdraw the air-pressure from abovethe main valve, when said valve, if operative, opens and admits thewater-pressure, which pressure, however, is checked by the closed outoffvalve M and prevented from entrance into the dry pipe of the system. Themain valve then closes by gravity. The main cut-off valve of the system(designated at N) is preferably closed when the test is made, andtherefore but a small water-pressure operates the main valve. Theconstruction and arrangement of the main valve are such as to permit ofa free passage for the water and also render the apparatus more compactand rigid. The action of the valve is immediate andinstantaneous upon areduction of air-pressure above it. The upper valve-face withdraws theengagement of its rod from the elbow-lever, which latter may begenerally termed a lockin g member, and upon said withdrawal the lowerhinged valve-face is immediately operated by the excessivewater-pressure to throw elf the engagement of the locking member. Thehinged valve-face is adjusted at its hinge upon the seat by means of theadjust-able member bearing upon it, and it is also seated firmly at theside opposite to the hinge by the locking member, which also serves tohold the face closed against the excessive water-pressure when theloekin g member is engaged with the upper valve-face. The pipe 0,leading from abovethe valve E is connected in such a way as to serve asa drain-pipe.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a valve apparatus for dry-pipe fire-extinguisher systems, an upperand lower valve, the former exposed to the air-pressure and the latterexposed to the water-pressure, and a lever, one arm of which is normallyin contact with the upper valve member and the other arm separablyengaged with the lower valve member and an adjacent stationary part tohold it closed, the movement of the upper valve member, upon reductionof air-pressure, causinga separation between the upper and lower valvemembers and the said lever whereby the lower valve member is released.

2. In a valve apparatus fordry-pipe fire-extin guishers, an upper valveand a lower valve, the former exposed to the air-pressure and the latterexposed to the water-pressure, and an elbow-lever, one arm of which isnormally in contact with the upper valve member and the other armseparably engaged with the lower valve member and with the valve-casingto hold it closed, the movement of the upper valve member, uponreduction of air-pressure, causing a separation between the two valvesand the elbowlever whereby the lower valve member is released.

3. In avalve apparatus for dry-pipe fireextinguisher systems, an upperand lower valve, the former exposed to the air-pressure and the latterexposed to the water-pressure, a rod extended from said upper valvemember and an elbow-lever, one arm of which is normallyin contact withthe said rod and the other arm separably engaged with the valve-casingand the lower valve member to hold it closed, the movement of the uppervalve member, upon reduction of air-pressure, causing a separationbetween the lower valve member and the elbow-lever whereby the lowerValve member is released.

4:. In a hinged valve, an adjusting device adjacent to the hinge of thevalve and engaging said valve to set the same on its seat, at thispoint, locking means engaging said valve approximately opposite to thehinge and means for adjusting the locking means to set the valve on itsseat at this point.

5. In avalve apparatus fordry-pipe fire-extinguishin g systems, thecombination of a drypipe valve exposed to the air-pressure tend ing toclose it, a shut-off or cut-off valve above the dry-pipe valve and areleasaopening between the two said valves for the airpressure wherebythe operativeness of the IIO dry-pipe valve may be tested withoutpermit-' ting the water to pass through said valve into thesprinkler-pipe.

6. In a valve apparatus for dry-pipe fireextinguisher systems, avalve-casing, an upper valve exposed to the air-pressure, a lower valveexposed to the water-pressure, meansvalve, an uppervalve adapted to beheld closed by pressure from above, and means for locking the lowervalve consisting of an elbow-lever, one arm of which is separably incontact with the upper valve and-the other arm of which is inseparableengagement with the lower valve and with the valve-easing, to

hold thelower valve closed, and' a device, as a chain, for looselyconnecting the locking memberto the valve-casing at a point between thetwo valves, for the purpose set forth.

Signed by me at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois,-this 11th day ofFebruary, 1898.

FRANK GRAY. A

Witnesses:

O. O. BULKLEY, L. M. BULKLEY.

